Borneo – Snorkeling with Mantas at Derawan/Sangalaki

After two weeks exploring the impressive Bornean rainforest, we headed to the east coast to the island of Derawan — three days to unwind, wild yet peaceful. The island remains untouched by mass tourism, its underwater world intact, diverse, and breathtaking. We hope it stays that way, unspoiled by the destruction raging elsewhere.

An Underwater Adventure Begins

We spent two days with a local dive school. On the first day, strong currents — and an unfamiliar dive instructor — kept us from diving, but snorkeling more than made up for it with a dazzling display of coral and fish, rough and delicate. During lunch, a dive instructor casually mentioned Sangalaki, famous for its large manta rays — a dream ignited inside us.

The Leap to the Mantas

That evening, we took a chance and asked a local fisherman. The next day, we rocked gently in a small boat across the open sea toward Sangalaki. Beneath the surface, a vibrant world of coral and color unfolded — then our guide shouted, “Manta, manta!” Behind us, a feeding trail of five mantas glided by, mouths open, sucking plankton, gracefully circling us before disappearing into the depths. Our hearts raced — it was almost unreal how close they came, how they floated through the water.

A Day Full of Wonders

The day gifted us magic — the mantas crossed our path maybe thirty times, almost within reach. The calmer we stayed, the closer they dared to come — a dance between silence and thrill. Alone in the water, surrounded by such enchantment — a moment that stays deep in the heart.